Brewtus_Maximus
Active Member
Hello brew folks!
So I recently upgraded my mash tun to a 10 gallon stainless pot with a false bottom and bazooka screen (Bayou Classic). I previously was working with a 10 gallon Rubbermaid mash tun, and decided to upgrade because I don't like the idea of plastic.
When I did my first brew with the new equipment, I used both the bazooka and the false bottom, and ended up with a stuck sparge. I was able to unclog the screen by blowing air into the ball valve with a turkey baster. But I had to keep repeating this process, as the sparge kept getting reclogged every 30 seconds or so (it was a HUGE PITA!!). The false bottom, which was located above the bazooka screen, filtered out the "bulk" material, and allowed the "fine" grains of the mash to go to the bottom, where they clogged the bazooka screen. It seems then that it was the combination of the two that contributed the most to the stuck sparge. In the future I plan on using just the false bottom for mashing. I have heard that people really like the bazooka tubes for mashing. But for now, I think I am going to use it mostly for straining hops from the boil. I ordered a dip tube to put under the false bottom instead of the bazooka screen. This makes a lot more sense, and should decrease the amount of dead space in the mash tun.
In my old mash tun I used a copper manifold to filter the grains and I never ran into a stuck sparge. I think that a dip tube in combination with just the false bottom should resolve the problem on my new setup.. But I am also wondering if anyone else here has tried to use a false bottom in combo with a bazooka screen in the past with good results. After all, we could be incorrect in our reasoning as to why the sparge got stuck.. It could have been too fine of a grind, or something else that caused the works to "gum up".
So I recently upgraded my mash tun to a 10 gallon stainless pot with a false bottom and bazooka screen (Bayou Classic). I previously was working with a 10 gallon Rubbermaid mash tun, and decided to upgrade because I don't like the idea of plastic.
When I did my first brew with the new equipment, I used both the bazooka and the false bottom, and ended up with a stuck sparge. I was able to unclog the screen by blowing air into the ball valve with a turkey baster. But I had to keep repeating this process, as the sparge kept getting reclogged every 30 seconds or so (it was a HUGE PITA!!). The false bottom, which was located above the bazooka screen, filtered out the "bulk" material, and allowed the "fine" grains of the mash to go to the bottom, where they clogged the bazooka screen. It seems then that it was the combination of the two that contributed the most to the stuck sparge. In the future I plan on using just the false bottom for mashing. I have heard that people really like the bazooka tubes for mashing. But for now, I think I am going to use it mostly for straining hops from the boil. I ordered a dip tube to put under the false bottom instead of the bazooka screen. This makes a lot more sense, and should decrease the amount of dead space in the mash tun.
In my old mash tun I used a copper manifold to filter the grains and I never ran into a stuck sparge. I think that a dip tube in combination with just the false bottom should resolve the problem on my new setup.. But I am also wondering if anyone else here has tried to use a false bottom in combo with a bazooka screen in the past with good results. After all, we could be incorrect in our reasoning as to why the sparge got stuck.. It could have been too fine of a grind, or something else that caused the works to "gum up".